A legendary Italian digestive that is a household name in San Francisco but known to few bartenders outside the city. I decided to try it after a write-up called "The Myth of Fernet-Branca" in the
SF Weekly, and I have to say that it lived up to expectations. The taste is unforgettable: at first sip, it's like you're drinking petroleum oil or charcoal, but after it goes down, you get it - it's really cleansing, with a mint/licorice finish. It's different from most of the other liqueurs out there because there's nothing cloying about it; instead, it just assaults you. Many people swear by it as a hangover cure - trust me, it does the trick.